Sun Belt Preseason All-Conference Teams Announced
Pictured: Panthers DB Quavian White runs back a late-game red zone interception against Army on October 19, 2019.
On Tuesday the Sun Belt Conference announced Preseason All Sun Belt First and Second teams. The Georgia State Panthers featured five members on the Preseason All Sun Belt teams: OG Shamarious Gilmore was selected First Team Offense All Sun Belt, while WR Cornelius McCoy was a Second Team Offense All Sun Belt selection, and DL Dontae Wilson, LB Trajan Stephens-McQueen and DB Quavian White were among the Second Team Defense All Sun Belt winners.
Shamarious Gilmore returns for his redshirt senior season at Georgia State, coming off a season in which he was voted Third Team All Sun Belt for his work in anchoring the Panther offensive line. Gilmore was instrumental in helping the Panthers offense set multiple school records in various rushing categories, and is on the Outland trophy preseason watch list.
Corneilus McCoy enters his junior season at Georgia State looking to secure his third All Sun Belt conference selection in three seasons. The Panthers’ leading receiver, McCoy finished the 2019 season with 70 receptions and over 750 yards. That was good enough to earn him All Sun Belt Third Team honors in 2019.
Trajan Stephens-McQueen took the defensive reins after Ed Curney’s injury and never looked back. Stephens-McQueen was a backup for two years before starting in 2019, and has already entered the top 10 on the GSU all-time tackles leaderboard. The Senior linebacker recorded 20 tackles in a win over Army in 2019, and will look to anchor the middle of the Panther defense in 2020.
Quavian White comes off a season where he led the Panthers secondary in pass deflections and tied for the team lead in interceptions. A two year starter, White enters his junior season with a lot of experience, and will have the important task of shutting down opposing offenses’ best receiving option.
Dontae Wilson is looking to finish his Panther career strong, having spent the past two years being one of the premier nose tackle options for Georgia State. As a first-team All-Sun Belt selection by Pro Football Focus in 2019, Wilson recorded over 40 tackles, including 3 sacks and 7 tackles for a loss.
The Sun Belt also announced Preseason Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year Award winners. Appalachian State Senior Quarterback Zac Thomas and Troy University Junior Linebacker Carlton Martial were voted the Preseason Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year Award winners respectively.
Sun Belt coaches also released their Preseason poll. The Panthers were expected to finish 4th in the Sun Belt East. Appalachian State and Louisiana were picked to win their respective divisions, and face off in the Sun Belt Championship Game for the Third Consecutive season.
2020 Sun Belt Conference Preseason Football Teams
First Team Offense
- QB – Zac Thomas, App State
- RB – Elijah Mitchell, Louisiana
- RB – Josh Johnson, ULM
- OL – Noah Hannon, App State
- OL – Baer Hunter, App State
- OL – Cooper Hodges, App State
- OL – Jarrett Horst, Arkansas State
- OL – Shamarious Gilmore, Georgia State
- TE – Josh Pederson, ULM
- WR – Corey Sutton, App State
- WR – Jonathan Adams, Arkansas State
- WR – Kaylon Geiger, Troy
First Team Defense
- DL – Demetrius Taylor, App State
- DL – Tarron Jackson, Coastal Carolina
- DL – Raymond Johnson III, Georgia Southern
- DL – Will Choloh, Troy
- LB – Rashad Byrd, Georgia Southern
- LB – Joe Dillon, Louisiana
- LB – Carlton Martial, Troy
- DB – Shaun Jolly, App State
- DB – Kenderick Duncan Jr, Georgia Southern
- DB – Corey Straughter, ULM
- DB – Dell Pettus, Troy
First Team Special Teams
- K – Blake Grupe, Arkansas State
- P – Rhys Byrns, Louisiana
- RS – Wesley Kennedy III, Georgia Southern
Second Team Offense
- QB – Levi Lewis, Louisiana
- RB – Trey Ragas, Louisiana
- RB – CJ Marable, Coastal Carolina
- OL – Ryan Neuzil, App State
- OL – Jacob Still, Arkansas State
- OL – Max Mitchell, Louisiana
- OL – O’Cyrus Torrence, Louisiana
- OL – TJ Fiailoa, ULM
- TE – Isaiah Likely, Coastal Carolina
- WR – Thomas Hennigan, App State
- WR – Cornelius McCoy, Georgia State
- WR – Reggie Todd, Troy
Second Team Defense
- DL – Forrest Merrill, Arkansas State
- DL – C.J. Brewer, Coastal Carolina
- DL – Dontae Wilson, Georgia State
- DL – Zi’Yon Hill, Louisiana
- LB – Teddy Gallagher, Coastal Carolina
- LB – Trajan Stephens-McQueen, Georgia State
- LB – Riley Cole, South Alabama
- DB – Shemar Jean-Charles, App State
- DB – Antonio Fletcher, Arkansas State
- DB – Quavian White, Georgia State
- DB – Eric Garror, Louisiana
Second Team Special Teams
- K – Massimo Biscardi, Coastal Carolina
- P – Anthony Beck II, Georgia Southern
- RS – Eric Garror, Louisiana
2020 Sun Belt Football Coaches Predicted Order of Finish (First-place votes in parentheses)
East Division
- App State (9) – 49 pts
- Georgia Southern – 36 pts
- Troy (1) – 32 pts
- Georgia State – 20 pts
- Coastal Carolina – 13 pts
West Division
- Louisiana (7) – 47 pts
- Arkansas State (2) – 40 pts
- South Alabama (1) – 22 pts
- Texas State – 21 pts
- ULM – 20 pts
You must be logged in to post a comment.